I feel very blessed with the education I received as a child. In my small town of York, Maine education is very important. I have always felt safe and all my teachers were excited to be teaching. To be honest, my memory of elementary school is nonexistent, but I do have incredible memories and experiences from middle school.
My eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Wilford, taught me more about life than he did about science. It was because of him that I got to do a lot of things most kids can’t say they’ve done. The coolest thing about Mr. Wilford is that he plays guitar. I also play guitar. Another cool thing about Mr. Wilford is that he's a huge fan of the singer Jason Mraz, which I am also a huge fan of. Can you see where this is going? Basically, Mr. Wilford and I had so many things in common. I could walk into his classroom and talk to him about music and concerts. He was the first teacher I had a real connection with. But besides having similar interests for music we also shared an interest of traveling. In seventh grade was invited on a school trip to Costa Rica. This is where I first met Mr. Wilford. Costa Rica changed my whole view on a lot of things. Up until that point I was shy and very reserved, not to mention a picky eater who had to eat primarily rice and beans in Costa Rica. This trip allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone, and now I will eat anything and everything and I’m a person who isn’t afraid of new experiences. Costa Rica wasn’t my only trip with Mr. Wilford. I was also a part of an exchange program between my high school and a school in England. This trip brought me outside my comfort zone even more than Costa Rica because I had to live with a host family that I had never met before. The most important thing that the England trip taught me was to explore new places. It’s safe to say that Mr. Wilford changed my life. He changed the way I view teaching because he had such a fun approach to learning. He challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and to travel to new places. I will never forget the day he told me and one of my friends to wake up a little earlier than everyone else to go explore London. We didn’t know where we were going but we were exploring and that’s one of the things that has stuck with me; I’ve been infected by the traveling bug. Because of Mr. WIlford and the opportunities he’s presented me with, I am a whole new person. He taught me how to connect with new people, how to break into song in public without feeling embarrassed, and how to be passionate about what I'm learning because everything is connected.
I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in York, Maine. I was fortunate to travel the world at a young age and have teachers who were excited to teach. I think one of the most important qualities a teacher can have is excitement for teaching and learning because it excites the students. I hope to one day provide the same experience for students that Mr. Wilford provided for me.
I feel very blessed with the education I received as a child. In my small town of York, Maine education is very important. I have always felt safe and all my teachers were excited to be teaching. To be honest, my memory of elementary school is nonexistent, but I do have incredible memories and experiences from middle school.
My eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Wilford, taught me more about life than he did about science. It was because of him that I got to do a lot of things most kids can’t say they’ve done. The coolest thing about Mr. Wilford is that he plays guitar. I also play guitar. Another cool thing about Mr. Wilford is that he's a huge fan of the singer Jason Mraz, which I am also a huge fan of. Can you see where this is going? Basically, Mr. Wilford and I had so many things in common. I could walk into his classroom and talk to him about music and concerts. He was the first teacher I had a real connection with. But besides having similar interests for music we also shared an interest of traveling. In seventh grade was invited on a school trip to Costa Rica. This is where I first met Mr. Wilford. Costa Rica changed my whole view on a lot of things. Up until that point I was shy and very reserved, not to mention a picky eater who had to eat primarily rice and beans in Costa Rica. This trip allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone, and now I will eat anything and everything and I’m a person who isn’t afraid of new experiences. Costa Rica wasn’t my only trip with Mr. Wilford. I was also a part of an exchange program between my high school and a school in England. This trip brought me outside my comfort zone even more than Costa Rica because I had to live with a host family that I had never met before. The most important thing that the England trip taught me was to explore new places. It’s safe to say that Mr. Wilford changed my life. He changed the way I view teaching because he had such a fun approach to learning. He challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and to travel to new places. I will never forget the day he told me and one of my friends to wake up a little earlier than everyone else to go explore London. We didn’t know where we were going but we were exploring and that’s one of the things that has stuck with me; I’ve been infected by the traveling bug. Because of Mr. WIlford and the opportunities he’s presented me with, I am a whole new person. He taught me how to connect with new people, how to break into song in public without feeling embarrassed, and how to be passionate about what I'm learning because everything is connected.
I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in York, Maine. I was fortunate to travel the world at a young age and have teachers who were excited to teach. I think one of the most important qualities a teacher can have is excitement for teaching and learning because it excites the students. I hope to one day provide the same experience for students that Mr. Wilford provided for me.